Container for powdered and granular products



Feb. 16, 1965 w. E. TAYLOR 3,159,671

CONTAINER FOR POWDERED AND GRANULAR PRODUCTS Filed Oct. 23, 1962 /f INVENTOR 25L;- Zy 7 M1 4 MM fan 4P0 Flu 1d,?

Z/ BY 24 I zoauzw United States Patent 3,l6?,671 CONTATNER FGR POWBEREE AND GRANULAR PRQBUQITS William Edward Taylor, Fairfield, Conn., assignnr to American Can Company, New York, 'N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed (let. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 232,526 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 222-143) This invention relates to dredging cans for powders, condiments and the like and has particular reference to a slip top closure which is free of depressions or sunken areas wherein the product may accumulate after the can has been opened, and which provides a convenient and reliable stacking feature.

Many of the powdered and spice products marketed today are sold in a can which is provided with a dispensing opening which is disposed in a depressed or countersunk panel of a top end member which is secured by a double seam to the can body, the dispensing opening being covered by a sliding dredge to protect the contents. This construction is somewhat objectionable because the top countersunk end member presents a hollow or depression wherein the product collects during use. Further, it is difficult to stack cans of this type because both the top and bottom ends of the can are outlined by double seams having similar dimensions and which thus provide no positive interlocking engagement between superposed cans.

The present invention contemplates overcoming these difficulties by providing a slip top closure for dredge cans having its upper marginal edge portion stepped inwardly to provide a raised panel in which the dispensing opening is located, which panel is smooth, easy to wipe and keep clean. The inwardly stepped portion of the slip top closure carries a dredge slide and is so dimensioned that both it and the slide fit into a conventional countersunk bottom end member which forms the opposite end of the can, thus facilitating easy stacking of like cans one upon the other.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a dredging can having a slip top closure provided with a raised central panel which is smooth, easy to wipe and keep clean, and which provides a neat, pleasing appearance.

Another object is the provision of a slip top closure provided with a raised, stepped, portion extending above the friction wa l of the closure, which raised portion of the closure is insertable into a countersunk area of a bottom end member to permit stacking of similar cans.

A further object is the provision of a slip top closure which is easy to apply to filled cans to enable packers to close such cans by means of a simple type of pressure closing tool Without the use of more expensive double seaming equipment. a

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a can or container embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the upper part of the container taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the lines 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken substantially along a vertical plane at right angles to FIG. 2 as indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical elevation showing an end view of the container illustrated in FIG. 1 and illustrating the container in a stacked arrangement with another container of like construction.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the invention, the drawing illustrates an all metal can or container having a rectangular body 11 formed with side 'walls l2 and end walls 13. The lower end of the can is closed by a bottom end member 14 which is secured to the body 13-1 in any suitable manner as by a multilayer double seam 15 (FIGS. 1 and 4). The bottom end member 14 includes a recessed imperforate panel portion 16 and a vertical annular countersink Wall 17 (FIG. 4) which comprises the inner layer seam 15.

At the upper end of the can body 11 (FIGS. 2 and 3), the side and end Walls 12, 13 form a marginal edge portion or friction rim 1% which terminates in a raw edge in which is slightly bent or directed inwardly. Bordering upon and just below the friction rim 18, the body Walls l2, 13 are strengthened by an outwardly directed bead 2t) which extends entirely around the can body.

The upper end of the can body 11 is closed by a slip top closure 21 which is engageable over the open end or mouth of the can. The top closure 21 preferably is formed from a single blank and includes a raised imperforate panel 22 which is reduced in its longitudinal and transverse dimensions from the side and end dimensions of the can by virtue of a circumferential step 23 which is formed at the upper edge of the closure 21. The panel 22 preferably is flat, rectangular in outline and comprises the uppermost wall of the can.

' The step 25 at the outer peripheral edge of the panel 22 comprises opposing pairs of vertical side walls 24 and vertical end walls 25 and horizontal side walls 26 and horizontal end walls 27.

The top closure 21 also includes a depending flange or skirt 28 which extends downwardly from the outer periphery of the step 23 for frictional engagement with the friction rim 3% of the body 11 for securing the top closure 21 thereon (FIGS. 2 and 3).

A one-piece dredge slide member 29 is slidably disposed on the flat closure panel 22. To insure a simple and effective sliding connection for the slide member 29, oppositely disposed longitudinal side portions thereof are bent downwardly and slightly inwardly to form slide flanges 3d. These slide flanges 3t) snap over the longitudinal edges of the panel 22 and snugly engage beneath undercut surfaces or slideways 31 which are indented into the vertical side walls 24 of the step 23 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The undercut surfaces or slideways 31 extend along a major part of the side walls 24 intermediate their ends, the end portions of the side walls being unindented so that they may serve as stops to retain the slide member 29 in position on the panel 22.

The slide flanges 30 are normally bent inwardly at an angle somewhat greater than the angle at which the slideways 31 are disposed so that they are biased outwardly by the slideways 31. As a result, the natural spring of the metal slide member 29 tends to pull the slide member 29 downwardly, thus insuring relatively close contact ing engagement between the lower surface of the slide member 29 and the upper surface of the panel 22 while permitting it to he slid along the panel 22 to selected positions thereon.

With the slide mern er 29 in the position on the can, illustrated in FIG. 1, the slide member 29 is effective initially for covering and protecting a dispensing opening 32 which is disposed in the panel 22. This opening 32 may be in the form of a segment of a circle outlined by a chord line 33 joined at its opposite ends by an arcuate line 34. If desired, the opening 32 may be a potential opening which is initially defined by a reof the double.

Q movable portion 35 of the panel 22. In such event, the panel 22 would be provided with lines of weakening which may be partially or fully cut through the wall of the panel 22 along the lines 33, 34, at least one portion of the line 33 being left uncut or unscored to serve as a hinge to prevent the removable portion from falling into the contents when the removable portion 35 is pressed inwardly to create the dispensing opening 32 in the panel 22.

In order to facilitate the movement of the slide member 29 on the panel 22, it is formed with a plurality of ridges or raised finger engaging corrugations 36 as best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The slide member 29 also is formed to provide for sifting dispensing of the contents following the opening of the can. The slidemember 29 thus is pierced at arcuately spaced intervals to provide a plurality of sifter perforations 37 disposed inwardly of and along a marginal edge of the slide member (FIG. 1) in parallelism to the arcuate line 34.

In order to provide a substantially sift-proof seal between the upper edge portion of the can body 11 and the top closure 21, an annular gasket 38, preferably formed of paper, is inserted within the skirt 28 of the top closure 21. FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate the gasket 38 disposed directly beneath the step 23 so that the upper raw edge 19 of the can body 11 may engage against and actually be embedded in the gasket 38. The gasket 38 is rectangular in outline, having side and end portions which are relatively narrow to provide a full rectangular opening 39 therein.

It is readily seen how the instant type can easily be filled through its open mouth with powder or granular material prior to application of the closure 21 and thereafter easily covered and closed by simply pressing the top closure 21 onto the can without the use of expensive can seaming equipment.

When it is desired to open the can for dispensing of the contents, the slide member 29 first is shifted to the right from the position shown in FIG. 1 to uncover the removable portion 35. Thereafter, the portion 35 is pressed inwardly to create the dispensing opening 32 in the panel 22.

Following the opening of the can, the slide closure member 29 may be moved selectively to sifting, pouring or closing position by manipulation of the finger engaging ridges 36. When the slide member 29 is moved to a position slightly to the right of the position shown in FIG. 1, the sifter perforations 37 are broughtinto alignment with the dispensing opening 32 and the can becomes eifective for sifting dispensing.

Further movement of the slide member 29 to the right completely uncovers the dispensing opening 32 in the panel 22 and the can becomes effective for either pouring of the contents directly from the can or for measured dispensing. When this latter means of dispensing is desired, a spoon may be inserted through the dispensing opening 32 and measured amounts of the contents withdrawn from the can.

Reference is made to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein it is readily seen that the upper end of the instant container is void of depressions or sunken areas wherein the product or other matter may collect.

As seen in FIG. 4, cans embodying the principles of the instant invention may be arranged in superposed stacked relation with the stepped upper end portion of the bottom can inserted into the countersunk bottom end of the top can, the horizaontal walls 26, 27 of the step 23 providing a stable surface for the upper can and the vertical walls 24, 25 preventing relative lateral movement of the cans.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be undersood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinabove described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

1 claim:

1. A container for powdered and granular products comprising a rectangular container body having an open end and a surrounding marginal edge portion, a slip top closure for said container having a raised panel, a surrounding marginal step bordering upon said panel including pairs of vertical side Walls and vertical end walls and pairs of horizontal side Walls and horizontal end walls, a slideway formed in each of said vertical side walls, and a skirt depending directly from said horizontal side walls and said horizontal end walls said skirt having frictional engagement with said marginal edge portion of said body for securing said top closure in position on the open end of said container, and a slide member for the container having sliding engagement on the upper surface of said panel for covering a dispensing opening in said panel and for protecting the container contents, said slide member being provided with a pair of depending slide flanges which frictionally engage against the slideways of said vertical side walls, said slide member having at least one perforation therein, which perforation is registrable with said dispensing opening in said panel when said slide member is shifted to permit sifting of the container contents.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said slideways are inwardly inclined and said slide flanges along the opposite side portions of said slide member are bent to extend downwardly and inwardly to engage the inclined slideways and are biased outwardly by said slideways to pull said slide member downwardly against said top closure and to retain said slide member on said panel.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein stop means are provided on the vertical side Walls of said top closure for preventing edge portions at the opposite ends of the slide member from sliding 0E said panel.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the container body is rectangular in its transverse cross section and the raised panel is of substantially the same configuration having its lateral and longitudinal dimensions reduced from the side and end dimensions of the container body and wherein the container body is closed at its bottom end by a bottom end member having a recessed panel and a vertical annular wall so that the raised panel and slide member of one container are insertable into the bottom end member of a like container for arranging the containers in stacked relation.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Truesburg Sept. 14, 1915 2,190,676 Perry Feb. 20, 1940 2,302,186 Caretto Nov. 17, 1942 2,696,935 Obeck Dec. 14, 1954 

1. A CONTAINER FOR POWDERED AND GRANULAR PRODUCTS COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR CONTAINER BODY HAVING AN OPEN END AND A SURROUNDING MARGINAL EDGE PORTION, A SLIP TO CLOSURE FOR SAID CONTAINER HAVING A RAISED PANEL, A SURROUNDING MARGINAL STEP BORDERING UPON SAID PANEL INCLUDING PAIRS OF VERTICAL SIDE WALLS AND VERTICAL END WALLS AND PAIRS OF HORIZONTAL SIDE WALLS AND HORIZONTAL END WALLS, A SLIDEWAY FORMED IN EACH OF SAID VERTICAL SIDE WALLS, AND A SHIRT DEPENDING DIRECTLY FROM SAID HORIZONTAL SIDE WALLS AND SAID HORIZONTAL END WALLS SAID SKIRT HAVING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF SAID BODY FOR SECURING SAID TOP CLOSURE IN POSITION ON THE OPEN END OF SAID CONTAINER, AND A SLIDE MEMBER FOR THE CONTAINER HAVING SLIDING ENGAGEMENT ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PANEL FOR COVERING A DISPENSING OPENING IN SAID PANEL AND FOR PROTECTING THE CONTAINER CONTENTS, SAID SLIDE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF DEPENDING SLIDE FLANGES WHICH FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE AGAINST THE SLDEWAYS OF SAID VERTICAL SIDE WALLS, SAID SLIDE MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PERFORATION THEREIN, WHICH PERFORATION IS REGISTRABLE WITH SAID DISPENSING OPENING IN SAID PANEL WHEN SAID SLIDE MEMBER IS SHIFTED TO PERMIT SIFTING OF THE CONTAINER CONTENTS. 